Waste of time? Or solid investment?
November 13, 2007 2:50 PM
Bachelors of Applied Science?? Waste of time? Or solid investment?
I recently graduated with an associates of applied science. I would like to go on to get my bachelors but I have no inclination to essentially retake English 101, etc. But most universities do not honor tech school generals.
An exception would be a Bachelors of Applied Science. They are tailored toward people with A.A.S degrees. In essence, your first two years of the BAS degree are covered by your AAS degree. This is a huge savings in time and money obviously.
But is this degree 'tainted'? Is it seen as a worthless degree? I am guessing that I would not be able to obtain the same types of positions with a BAS that I would with a BS. But would it open up some doors for me just by virtue of having a Bachelors of any sort?
FYI- The BAS in question is from a state university with a good reputation overall. The area I am in is QA lab type stuff in tech manufacturing.
Do any of you have a BAS? If so, what has people's reaction been? Any advice or words of wisdom?
FWIW: I think a Bachelor's of Applied Science might mean something else in the UK than it does here (USA). I could be wrong though.
I recently graduated with an associates of applied science. I would like to go on to get my bachelors but I have no inclination to essentially retake English 101, etc. But most universities do not honor tech school generals.
An exception would be a Bachelors of Applied Science. They are tailored toward people with A.A.S degrees. In essence, your first two years of the BAS degree are covered by your AAS degree. This is a huge savings in time and money obviously.
But is this degree 'tainted'? Is it seen as a worthless degree? I am guessing that I would not be able to obtain the same types of positions with a BAS that I would with a BS. But would it open up some doors for me just by virtue of having a Bachelors of any sort?
FYI- The BAS in question is from a state university with a good reputation overall. The area I am in is QA lab type stuff in tech manufacturing.
Do any of you have a BAS? If so, what has people's reaction been? Any advice or words of wisdom?
FWIW: I think a Bachelor's of Applied Science might mean something else in the UK than it does here (USA). I could be wrong though.
I am saying that I do not want to basically repeat all of my generals. AAS degree credits do not generally transfer. I would be starting from scratch if I were to go with a BS degree.
A BAS degree, on the other hand, honors the AAS degree as your freshman & sophmore year. you enter the program as a junior, more or less.
posted by ian1977 at 3:20 PM on November 13, 2007
A BAS degree, on the other hand, honors the AAS degree as your freshman & sophmore year. you enter the program as a junior, more or less.
posted by ian1977 at 3:20 PM on November 13, 2007
Find a college that will allow you to take a CLEP test to get out of English and other basic classes, you may have to look really hard. (As someone who failed English several times before finding out about CLEP, I sympathize.)
posted by anaelith at 3:29 PM on November 13, 2007
posted by anaelith at 3:29 PM on November 13, 2007
I have a BASc from a Canadian university, and have never encountered any reaction in the US that might suggest it was being held in lower regard than some other B* degree, much less considered useless.
My take would be that the somewhat subtle variances between countries will be drowned out by the "Bachelor's" part, and the name of the school. I've rarely seen a job where having a specific Bachelor's degree was a real requirement, and plenty where having some B* is a paper requirement.
posted by kanuck at 3:40 PM on November 13, 2007
My take would be that the somewhat subtle variances between countries will be drowned out by the "Bachelor's" part, and the name of the school. I've rarely seen a job where having a specific Bachelor's degree was a real requirement, and plenty where having some B* is a paper requirement.
posted by kanuck at 3:40 PM on November 13, 2007
What do you want to do once you have the degree?
posted by jeffamaphone at 4:32 PM on November 13, 2007
posted by jeffamaphone at 4:32 PM on November 13, 2007
I am not sure what schools you are refering to, but when I transfered into the University of Hawaii after getting an associates elsewhere, pretty much every credit transfered with me.
This would have been true for the half dozen other schools I was accepted by ( but not offered nearly enough financial aid to attend /sigh ).
Goto the Admissions Office for your school and ask them to do transfer checks for the schools you are interested in. Most schools are in a centralized system where you can check to see if your credits will move over.
posted by petethered at 4:47 PM on November 13, 2007
This would have been true for the half dozen other schools I was accepted by ( but not offered nearly enough financial aid to attend /sigh ).
Goto the Admissions Office for your school and ask them to do transfer checks for the schools you are interested in. Most schools are in a centralized system where you can check to see if your credits will move over.
posted by petethered at 4:47 PM on November 13, 2007
I am a mechanical engineering undergrad at the one of the top universities in Canada. I will graduate with a B.ASc Honours Mechanical Engineering and I haven't heard a word in Canada or the United States that even hints that it is regarded less seriously than any other Bachelors. It's just what engineers GET at my school. There is no B.Eng here.
posted by KevCed at 5:51 PM on November 13, 2007
posted by KevCed at 5:51 PM on November 13, 2007
But is this degree 'tainted'? Is it seen as a worthless degree?
No, I don't think so.
In the U.S., for positions that require a bachelor's degree, the main thing is that you have a bachelor's degree. I have never encountered anyone whose evaluation of the degree was so fine-grained that they would look askance at a bachelor of applied science as opposed to, say, a bachelor of science.
It is important in your case, I think, that your degree is from a respectable school.
posted by jayder at 5:54 PM on November 13, 2007
No, I don't think so.
In the U.S., for positions that require a bachelor's degree, the main thing is that you have a bachelor's degree. I have never encountered anyone whose evaluation of the degree was so fine-grained that they would look askance at a bachelor of applied science as opposed to, say, a bachelor of science.
It is important in your case, I think, that your degree is from a respectable school.
posted by jayder at 5:54 PM on November 13, 2007
Thank you all for your replies.
kanuck & KevCed - I don't mean to say that a BAS from Canada is 'tainted' or less than ideal. There is a difference between the BAS in the US vs BASc in Canada.
jeffamaphone- Ultimately I would like to be in the area I am in now (tech manufacturing QA lab type stuff, working on SEMs TEMs, FIBs etc), but with a better title, more responsibility, better pay. I dont need better pay and such immediately, but just want to prepare for down the road.
petethered- I am positive that my degree won't transfer into a traditional BS. Associates of Arts degrees generally transfer well. But AAS degrees do not because so many of the classes are technical, specialized and do not fit into the transfer mold. This is part of the reason, as I understand it, that the BAS degree exists. It enable AAS degree holders to continue their education without having to start from scratch.
Jayder - That is good to hear! And the school I am looking at is well respected.
I seem to have muddled my original questions (again!) so I will sum up what I was trying to get at...
What is your opinion of the BAS degree in general? Do you, or anyone you know, have a BAS degree, especially after first completing an AAS degree. Have you encountered any stigma (ie, a BAS degree isn't a REAL degree, its just an Associates Degree Plus). Do you feel that a BAS degree was worth it? Or would you have been just as well off just sticking with the AAS degree.
Thanks!
posted by ian1977 at 6:09 PM on November 13, 2007
kanuck & KevCed - I don't mean to say that a BAS from Canada is 'tainted' or less than ideal. There is a difference between the BAS in the US vs BASc in Canada.
jeffamaphone- Ultimately I would like to be in the area I am in now (tech manufacturing QA lab type stuff, working on SEMs TEMs, FIBs etc), but with a better title, more responsibility, better pay. I dont need better pay and such immediately, but just want to prepare for down the road.
petethered- I am positive that my degree won't transfer into a traditional BS. Associates of Arts degrees generally transfer well. But AAS degrees do not because so many of the classes are technical, specialized and do not fit into the transfer mold. This is part of the reason, as I understand it, that the BAS degree exists. It enable AAS degree holders to continue their education without having to start from scratch.
Jayder - That is good to hear! And the school I am looking at is well respected.
I seem to have muddled my original questions (again!) so I will sum up what I was trying to get at...
What is your opinion of the BAS degree in general? Do you, or anyone you know, have a BAS degree, especially after first completing an AAS degree. Have you encountered any stigma (ie, a BAS degree isn't a REAL degree, its just an Associates Degree Plus). Do you feel that a BAS degree was worth it? Or would you have been just as well off just sticking with the AAS degree.
Thanks!
posted by ian1977 at 6:09 PM on November 13, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by 45moore45 at 3:06 PM on November 13, 2007